“What’s going on, Nicole?”
She supposed the truth wouldn’t hurt, and at this point, denial would only make her look stupid.
“I have a medical condition that causes imbalances in iron and blood-sugar levels.” He set her down, but when her feet hit the dirt, her legs wouldn’t support her. Very carefully, he lowered her to the ground.
Then he shocked her by sinking down in front of her. He made himself comfortable with one leg propped up and his arm draped over his knee like they were getting ready to enjoy a picnic. “Do you need to eat?”
“Food would help. But what I really need is medication.” Or a blood transfusion, which was a very temporary measure and would only prolong the inevitable.
He stared at her, the calculation in his shimmering eyes making her squirm. “Let me guess.” Skepticism dripped from his words. “Your medication is at your house, and if you don’t get it, you’ll die.”
“Yes. Not right away but eventually.”
“Insulin?”
She shook her head. “It’s an antiviral drug developed specifically for me, although there are a couple of other known cases of vampiridae that are being treated with the same drug.”
“Vampiridae?”
“I contracted the vampire virus when I was bitten.”
“Then why aren’t you a vampire?”
She turned her left hand over, revealing the round pencil-eraser-sized scar on her wrist. “Because I’d been immunized against the orally contracted form of the virus.”
Vampires carried two forms of the virus, but humans were immunized only against the virus that was transmitted by saliva. No company had yet developed anything that would defend against the more powerful strain of the virus vampires carried in their blood. Daedalus was working on it, and Chuck claimed they were close, but trial results were, so far, not as satisfactory as the FDA would like.
“The immunization kept me from turning, but it didn’t stop the virus from attacking my body.” Closing her eyes, she slumped against the cave wall. “No one knows why it happens, but in cases like mine, the virus creates dangerously high levels of iron that shut down the pancreas before shutting down other organs.”
He cursed. “Can I do anything?”
“I could use some food and water.”
“Hold on.” She hadn’t expected him actually to do anything, but he fetched the duffel full of supplies.
“Here,” he said, as he handed her a wrapped protein bar. “It’s not a hot meal, but it’s better than nothing.”
“Thank you.” Gratefully, she took the food he offered. As long as she kept hydrated and kept her blood sugar as level as possible, she could go without the medication for a couple of weeks, until the iron in her blood and organs built up to lethal levels.
But no need to worry, she thought. She’d probably be dead long before she had a chance to die from her disease. Some vampire was likely going to rid her of the iron in her blood problem. And the blood in her veins problem.
She took a bite and tried to pretend it didn’t taste
like a bird’s nest. Without thinking, she offered the bar to Riker, who blinked in surprise.
“It’s yours,” he said, shaking his head.
“You must know what they taste like,” she muttered.
“Hey,” he said, his tone light, almost teasing. “I gave you the best of the two flavors.” He jerked his thumb over at the survival kit. “The other one is Peanut Butter Sawdust.”
She laughed, thankful for a moment of levity, no matter how brief it might be.
“Eat.” He started toward the cave entrance.
“There’s more water in the bag, too.”
“Where are you going?” She hated herself for the alarm in her voice, hated herself more for relaxing when he halted at the entrance and gave her a reassuring look.
“I’m going to patrol the area. I want to make sure no one is close.” His voice went low, soothing. “I won’t go far, and I won’t be gone long.”
Yesterday his words would have been threatening.
Today they were comforting, which was messed up.
Here she was, relieved that her kidnapper was going to return. Worse, he was probably planning to take her back to his clan to be tortured or something.
No longer hungry, she forced herself to choke down the protein bar. When Riker hadn’t returned by the time she finished, she downed a bottle of water and dug the pad of paper out of the bag. Although her eyes were burning with the need to sleep, she made two tiny origami birds and a flower. As she started another flower, Riker strode through the entrance. The sight of him, moving with confident, easy strides, the weapons harness molded perfectly to his muscular bare chest, sent a wave of both unease and hot, feminine appreciation rippling through her. He could just as easily kill her as protect her.